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Ribotyping of 16S and 23S rRNA genes and organization of rrn operons in members of the bacterial genera Gemmata, Planctomyces, Thermotoga, Thermus, and Verrucomicrobium

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Abstract

The number of organization of rrn genes of two members of the order Planctomycetales, Planctomyces limnophilus and Gemmata obscuriglobus, as well as three species from other bacterial phyla, namely Thermotoga maritima, Thermus aquaticus and Verrucomicrobium spinosum were examined by Southern blot hybridization analysis of restricted DNA with labeled 16S- and 23S rRNAs. Ribotyping analysis revealed that two species contain unlinked 16S- and 23S rRNA genes. Planctomyces limnophilus possessed two unlinked rrn genes which were separated from each other by at least 4.3 kb, and Thermus aquaticus had to unlinked 16S and 23S rRNA genes, separated from each other by at least 2.5 kb. Gemmata obscuriglobus exhibited five genes for which the organization could as yet not be determined because of the complex hybridization patterns. In the other two species, rrn genes clustered in operons. Thermotoga maritima had a single gene for each rRNA species which were separated by not more than 1.5 kb, while Verrucomicrobium spinosum had four copies of probably linked 16S and 23S rRNA genes with a maximal distance between 16S and 23S rRNA genes of 1.3 kb.

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Menke, M.A.O.H., Liesack, W. & Stackebrandt, E. Ribotyping of 16S and 23S rRNA genes and organization of rrn operons in members of the bacterial genera Gemmata, Planctomyces, Thermotoga, Thermus, and Verrucomicrobium . Arch. Microbiol. 155, 263–271 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00252210

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